1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of protective devices to prevent debris from entering a gutter on a house or other building. In particular, it relates to a protective cover in the form of a generally flat, impervious sheet that extends outwardly and downwardly from under a row of shingles or other roofing material to a point almost at the outer edge of the gutter. The outer edge of the sheet is curled under and either rests on spikes that attach the gutter to the building or is attached to the outer edge of the gutter. The cover is held in place by spaced members, either in the form of straps that extend from under the same roofing material, then over the cover and under the inwardly turned lip of the gutter, or in the form of clips that engage the inwardly turned lip and the curled edge. The part of each member adjacent the curled edge of the cover is bent to engage that edge to maintain a desired small space between the curled edge and the outer wall of the gutter so that water, even water resulting from a downpour, will be able to follow the curl by surface tension and cascade into the gutter.
2. Prior Art
The nuisance of having leaves, twigs and other debris get caught in a gutter is well-known to houseowners. It is common for such debris to form one or more dams along the length of a gutter and thus cause water to overflow during heavy rainfalls instead of being constrained within the gutter and flowing into the downspout. Such overflowing water is likely to wash away dirt immediately below the gutter and may also damage shrubs and plants located there. Even more objectionable is the fact that such overflowing water can work its way into the building and do substantial damage inside the structure. At the very least it produces much the same effect as if the building did not have a gutter.
In addition to accumulating in clumps in the gutter itself, the debris can also be carried to the downspout and can completely stop it up, which not only produces the same effect as if the gutter were dammed but can cause the build-up of enough weight of water or debris to break the supports of the downspout. The water, whether held back by dams in the gutter or in the downspout, can also place enough stress on the spikes that commonly hold the gutter in place to pull the gutter partly or entirely away from the building.
In order to avoid such undesirable effects, various forms of protective devices have been used. Since a heavy rainfall is commonly thought to require a large open space at the top of the gutter, a common protective device is a length of screen material attached to the edge of the roof or to the gutter or both to cover the entire gutter so as to prevent any debris from getting into the gutter. However, such screens can become clogged, thereby simply furnishing a solid surface across which the debris will flow to exactly the same point as if the gutter itself had overflowed. Another disadvantage is that the holes in the screen may be large enough to allow small twigs and other debris to enter the gutter and eventually to accumulate to the point where the gutter or the downspout or both become clogged. And the screen can be dislodged too easily.
Various forms of impervious sheets have also been used to prevent debris from entering a gutter. Such sheets have sometimes been formed as part of the gutter or formed in such a way as to extend over substantially the entire width of the gutter but provided with a curled edge around which water will flow by surface tension into the gutter. Such structures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 546,042; 836,012; 891,405; 2,672,832 and 3,388,555. However, each of the gutter covers in those patents has a configuration that causes a problem.
The cover described by Van Horn in U.S. Pat. No. 546,042 extends to the outer edge of a wooden gutter and is held in place simply by corrugations that give it rigidity and that simultaneously form pathways along which water can flow into the gutter. No means are provided to maintain a uniform space between the entire outer edge of the cover and the outer edge of the gutter.
U.S. Pat. No. 836,012 to Cassen shows a separate piece of material that covers the gutter and is attached to the fascia of the house along one edge while the other edge is curled downwardly and is held in place by two straps, one of which extends under the cover and across the gutter and is rigidly attached to both the inner and outer edges of the gutter. The other strap is attached to the top of the cover and nailed to the top of the lower course of shingles. In another embodiment, the cover and gutter are formed of one piece of sheet metal. Water is prevented from reaching the inner edge of the gutter only by virtue of the fact that the cover is solidly attached to the cornice, or fascia, not to the roof, and by the fact that the lower course of shingles extends partway over the cover and gutter.
The cover and gutter in Cassens U.S. Pat. No. 891,405 are formed as a one-piece unit. The interlocking inner edges of both the cover and the gutter are attached to the cornice under, not over, the overhanging, outermost edge of the roof, and since the entire gutter structure is formed of a single sheet of metal, the cover could not be added to an existing gutter.
Goetz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,832, shows a separate cover sheet attached directly to the frame, or fascia, by a separate set of spikes. The inner edge of the cover has a V-shaped groove that fits a similar channel in the inner wall of the gutter to help hold the cover in place.
Foster, U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,555, shows another one-piece element that forms a combined gutter and cover. The inner edges of both the cover and gutter are separately attached to the eaves, or fascia, and, like the Cassens structure, the cover cannot be attached to a gutter that is already in place.